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The Art of Living

On Making Moral Progress

Massimo Pigliucci tells us how to advance ethically.

When Cicero (106-43 BCE) translated the Greek word ēthos into Latin as moralis, he preserved a fundamental concept: how we conduct ourselves in relation to others. The idea of acting well remains central to human development, and most of us (I assume) aspire to make progress in this domain. But how do we know if we’re really improving morally?

Here’s how to know according to the philosopher (and priest of the temple of Apollo at Delphi) Plutarch of Chaeronea (46-118 CE). In his essay ‘On Being Aware of Moral Progress’, Plutarch says we ought to pay attention to nine signs that we can use to assess our progress in practical ethics.

The first sign is rooted in our approach to self-improvement. Do we maintain resolve when faced with setbacks, or do we surrender to discouragement? Plutarch writes, “It is as if repeated effort levels the path, and as though the journey creates a light and a brightness in philosophy, to replace the perplexity, uncertainty and vacillation which students of philosophy come across at first, like sailors who have left the land they know, but cannot yet see the land which is their destination” (trans. Robin Waterfield).

The second sign examines our response to others’ success, and to social pressure. True progress manifests in our ability to remain steadfast in our principles rather than succumbing to envy or conforming to popular opinion merely for the sake of acceptance: “When Zeno saw that Theophrastus was admired for the number of his students, he said, ‘Although his chorus is larger, mine is more harmonious.’”

The third sign reveals itself in how we dialogue with others: Do we pursue discussions to genuinely learn and share understanding, or merely to demonstrate our rhetorical prowess? The mark of ethical progress lies in valuing substance over style, wisdom over winning: “It is only when students of philosophy stop using arguments for display and affectedness and turn to the kinds of argument which have an impact on the character and the emotions that they begin to make genuine, unassuming progress.”

The fourth sign manifests in the underlying reasons for our actions. Progress shows when we act from genuine conviction rather than for display or gain. This encompasses both our ability to exercise restraint – whether refusing excess in food, drink, or pleasure – and in our capacity to resist external inducements. True virtue often expresses itself most clearly in what we choose not to do: “Giving something to a friend and doing a favor for an acquaintance, but not telling others about it, is a sign of progress.”

The fifth sign lies in our relationship with feedback. We’re making moral progress if we are able not just to tolerate criticism but even to welcome it as an opportunity for growth. Rather than shrinking from it, the mature soul seeks correction: “The same goes for people with faults: it is the incurable ones who get angry and behave aggressively and fiercely towards anyone who tries to rebuke and reprimand them, whereas those who put up with rebuke and do not resist are in a more composed state.”

The sixth sign takes us into the unconscious. Through our dreams, we can glimpse the true state of our moral development. Our progress manifests here in how we process ethical situations during sleep: “Zeno said that a person’s dreams ought to make him aware that he is progressing, if when asleep he sees himself neither enjoying anything discreditable, nor conniving at or doing anything awful or outrageous, but if instead he feels as though he were in translucent depths of tranquil stillness and it dawns upon him that the imaginative and emotional part of his mind has been dispersed by reason.”

The seventh sign concerns our emotional equilibrium. Here progress reveals itself in two ways: first, in the diminishing intensity of destructive emotions such as anger, irritability, and excessive desire; second, in the flourishing of beneficial emotions: the deepening love for family, the genuine joy found in virtuous action, and the cultivation of tranquility: Plutarch remarked “Progress begins with the lessening of our emotions’ extremity and intensity, ‘lusting after which’, as Sophocles says, ‘makes one overwrought’.”

The eighth sign examines the gap between our professed values and our behavior. True progress bridges the divide: we not only speak of virtue but embody it. Here pure actions naturally flow from our ethical understanding, demonstrating consistency between belief and practice: “What is significant is modeling our behavior on what we commend and being keen to do what we express admiration for, while being unwilling even to connive at what we find fault with.”

The final sign lies in whom we choose to emulate. An emphasis on moral exemplars reflects a profound psychological insight that’s confirmed by contemporary research: that we’re more effectively motivated by the concrete example of virtuous individuals than by abstract ethical principles: “What would Plato have done in this situation? What would Epaminondas have said? How would Lycurgus or Agesilaus have come across? We use each of them as a kind of mirror, before which we put ourselves in order, or adjust our stance, or refrain from some relatively petty saying, or resist an emotion.”

These nine signs serve as vital markers of our moral development. Without such concrete measures, we risk the complacency of imagined progress while remaining ethically stagnant. Plutarch’s framework offers us practical tools for genuine transformation, emphasizing behavior over theory, action over contemplation. His approach bridges the gap between philosophical ideals and daily practice, challenging us to cultivate our own inner philosopher. Are you ready to begin this journey of practical wisdom?

Massimo Pigliucci is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His books include How to Be a Stoic (Basic Books) and Beyond Stoicism (with Greg Lopez and Meredith Kunz, The Experiment). Please visit newstoicism.org.